Thursday, October 05, 2006
A World of New Distribution Channels
My last entry 'Internet Overload' seems to have sparked some reactions! Thank you for those. I cherish them. I promise to publish all comments as long as they don't abuse me and they stick to the subject!
Actually I am not surprised, I knew that this would evoke some reaction because it is a controversial issue. Don't mis-understand me (hence my explicit reference to Spam earlier). This is what I agree with:
- that mere access does not equal engagement in the internet world. Seth Godin does talk some strange stuff but I did get that!
- that infomediaries may dominate my permission to communicate over time
What I would like to look at though is the idea of 'universal' access. Have we reached a consensus about engagement and permission before we really have considered this? For example, what if overnight / a period of time, access to your panel is controlled by a Cable Company? A satellite TV company? A mobile network? What if by having a TV everyone instantly has some form of internet access? What does this mean for our panel investments?
By striking a deal with such an organisation (or yes, infomediary) I have instant access to nearly 100% of people? True, access doesn't mean engagement, but it can mean permission - and that is a stepping stone on the way to engagement.
Just a thought. The emphasis would not be on panel size but just the convergence potential for delivering mass accessibility. Permission would then reverse - consumers opt-out (like a telephone blacklist) rather than opt-in - or double -opt in as we talk about nowadays!
My mind is spinning......!
Actually I am not surprised, I knew that this would evoke some reaction because it is a controversial issue. Don't mis-understand me (hence my explicit reference to Spam earlier). This is what I agree with:
- that mere access does not equal engagement in the internet world. Seth Godin does talk some strange stuff but I did get that!
- that infomediaries may dominate my permission to communicate over time
What I would like to look at though is the idea of 'universal' access. Have we reached a consensus about engagement and permission before we really have considered this? For example, what if overnight / a period of time, access to your panel is controlled by a Cable Company? A satellite TV company? A mobile network? What if by having a TV everyone instantly has some form of internet access? What does this mean for our panel investments?
By striking a deal with such an organisation (or yes, infomediary) I have instant access to nearly 100% of people? True, access doesn't mean engagement, but it can mean permission - and that is a stepping stone on the way to engagement.
Just a thought. The emphasis would not be on panel size but just the convergence potential for delivering mass accessibility. Permission would then reverse - consumers opt-out (like a telephone blacklist) rather than opt-in - or double -opt in as we talk about nowadays!
My mind is spinning......!
